The invention pertains generally to the field of computing devices and, more particularly, to input devices used with computing devices.
In a computing device, such as a hand-held computer, laptop computer, or similar computing resource, a touch pad is often used as a graphical input device that conveys user inputs which control the operations of the computing device. Typically, the touch pad makes use of a two-dimensional array of capacitive or resistive surfaces that determine the position of a user""s finger on the surface of the touch pad. These inputs are directed to a keyboard controller or to a main central processing unit. The inputs enable aspects of the computing device to be controlled by way of the touch pad located on the computing device, thus providing a control means other than an external graphical pointing device, such as a mouse or trackball.
It is often the case that a computing device user makes use of a touch pad to control the movement of a cursor as well as to control other aspects of the display, such as scroll bars, zooming, and so forth. When this occurs, the user can become confused as to the operating mode of the touch pad at a given time. A partial solution has been offered in which an indicator is used to identify whether the touch pad is controlling the cursor, horizontal or vertical scroll bars, or similar display functions. However, the placement of the indicator may not enable the user to intuitively determine the mode of operation of the touch pad.
Therefore, what is needed, is a touch pad that presents feedback that is responsive to user inputs. This can provide a more intuitive method and system of indicating to a user whether or not the touch pad has been activated for use for cursor control, or to control other aspects of the computing device""s display.
The invention is pointed out with particularity in the appended claims. However, important aspects of the invention are summarized herein.
In one aspect of the invention, a touch pad responds to an operator input to a computing device. The device comprises a first layer that includes a translucent surface. Also included is a second layer that makes use of a plurality of surfaces that are constructed using a translucent and conductive material. The device further includes a third layer that incorporates a light-emitting material that generates light in response to the operator input.